Sunset Wrasse

Thalassoma lutescens

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Labriformes
Family: Labridae
Genus: Thalassoma
Species: Thalassoma lutescens

The sunset wrasse (Thalassoma lutescens) is a lively wrasse whose females are bright yellow-green, while terminal males turn green with a blue-purple head marked by pinkish lines and a deep, crescent-shaped tail.

It grows to about 30 cm and is always on the move, swimming with its pectoral fins over reef flats and slopes. It feeds on small crustaceans, molluscs, worms and fish eggs, and follows divers or other fish that stir up food.

The sunset wrasse is found across the Indo-Pacific, including the Philippines, where it is a familiar sight on shallow coral reefs and rocky areas.